Lois & Clark S9 Drabbles
by sanalayla
Summary: A series of drabbles that are meant to fit into S9 canon of "Smallville". All sorts of different formats and scenes. They are not connected and are not meant to be one whole cohesive plot. Most of them are rated K, but some may be MA.
1. Drabble 1

**A/N:** This is just going to be a series of drabbles as the inspiration strikes. They are not connected to each other or linked, unless I specifically say one is linked to another. They're not in any particular order. The general rule is that both Lois and Clark should be in each drabble. Also that they be able to fit into the general scheme of S9 somehow… but they don't necessarily follow show canon 100%. (At least, yet.)

**WARNING:** Some of these may reference spoilers or mention upcoming episodes. I'll note that before each drabble. Also, the ratings are wildly different… G to NC-17/R. If it has a mature rating, I'll note it before that particular drabble, but please bear that in mind.

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**Drabble 1****Movie Night Redux **

Lois opened the door to her apartment, breathing a sigh of relief that the long week was finally over. Not that she had much to show for it. Slow news week. If she had any more weeks like this one she could forget about making her way out of the basement.

She stepped into her apartment and absentmindedly hit the light switch while kicking the door shut behind her. Too late, she registered that the lights were already on and that she'd ended up plunging the room into darkness instead.

"Lois?" A male voice spoke out from the corner of the room.

Lois stifled a scream and grabbed for the pepper spray she kept in her purse while jabbing the wall in search of the light switch. As room flooded with light, she saw a large man approaching her.

"Lois? What are you doing?"

Lois blinked a bit and then started laughing. It was Clark. Of course. "Clark!" Lois smiled brightly. "What are you doing here?" Trying not to be obvious, she slid the pepper spray back into her raincoat pocket. She couldn't resist adding. "It's Friday night. Shouldn't you be playing a game of solitaire in your loft right now?"

Clark eyes zeroed in on her hand, but he didn't say anything. He did smile a bit, though. "I came here for movie night." He turned and grabbed a stack of dvds from the kitchen counter. "I have every dog movie known to man right here." He held up the first disc with a disarming grin. "We can start with 'Old Yeller'."

Lois blinked in dismay. "Old Yeller?" She reached out and grabbed the discs from him. "Old Yeller, Where the Red Fern Grows, Marley & Me…" She shook her head and gave him a look of disbelief. "You've got to be kidding me."

Clark shrugged. "What? I like dog movies." When she didn't respond, he added, "You picked all shark movies for the last movie night. And I didn't complain."

Lois pondered that for a moment. "You do have a point."

She tossed the discs back on the counter and turned to sling her purse on the coat rack she kept next to the front door. As she started to shrug out of her rain coat, Clark immediately rushed forward to help her pull it off. He hooked his fingers into the shoulders and slid the coat off with ease.

"Thanks," she said, startled by his sudden proximity. She had been a bit chilly and wet, but now she felt a sudden flood of warmth rush through her body. He was standing far too close and her slightly damp blouse was going to be showing the effect he had on her if she didn't move away very quickly.

Heading straight towards her bedroom, she called over her shoulder, "You know, I'm just going to change into something more comfortable. Why don't you get the first movie started?"

Clark watched Lois almost sprint to her bedroom and felt slightly disappointed. The night was not going as he had planned. It had been a slow week for the Blur, so he had thought it would be the perfect night to spend some time with Lois.

He knew that, in some ways, he was being a coward because he wasn't asking her out on a formal second date and choosing the informal and last minute method, instead. The problem was that he never felt he was in a position to ask her out in advance, knowing that he might end up standing her up again at the last minute. He felt guilty about it, but – at least – he knew that this night would be spent only with Lois and his focus wouldn't be disturbed.

But how long could he keep it up? He was already starting to feel her withdrawal. She couldn't get away fast enough from him and she definitely hadn't looked pleased to find him in her apartment. Had she changed her mind? Did she want to end things between them even before they started? Not for the first time, he wished that he had more experience with women. The roller coaster of a relationship with Lana hadn't really prepared him for Lois. Every time he felt that he finally had a handle on what made her tick, she surprised him. Even reading her mind didn't give him the edge. Maybe the time had come where he should just put his cards on the table and let her know how he felt.

Lost in his thoughts, he didn't hear Lois come back into the room until she spoke.

"Clark? You didn't put the movie on." Lois sounded puzzled. "Did you change your mind about movie night?"

Clark blinked and looked at her. _She looked sexy and gorgeous, as usual._ He bit back a groan. She wore a faded gray sweatshirt that said "Army" across the front. It fell off her shoulder a bit and was so threadbare that he could see flashes of skin where the material had been worn so thin that it was actually see-through. She wore a ratty pair of jeans with it and her feet were bare. With some surprise, he noted her toenails were painted a bright red. She had pulled her hair up in a messy ponytail. He couldn't help but grin. Only Lois could end up looking so gorgeous even when she was trying so hard not to.

"Smallville?" Lois waved her fingers in front of his eyes, breaking his stare. "What's going on? We skipping movie night?"

Clark shook his head. "No, sorry, I was just thinking about…" he paused, not wanting to tell her that he was ogling her, "…. work. You know, wondering what my next story would be."

Lois's eyes lit up, like they always did when the subject turned to reporting. "Yeah? So what did you decide?"

"I…I… decided that I should think about work later and focus on getting the movie on." Clark made his way over to the DVD player and started to set up the first disc. He glanced over his shoulder at Lois and saw that she was frowning a bit in confusion. "Why don't you get the snacks ready?"

Lois nodded and headed over to the tiny kitchen. "Well, I'm just letting you know that I don't have the full buffet at my fingertips like you do," Lois warned, as she began scanning the shelves of her cupboards. "I haven't been grocery shopping in awhile." After realizing that most of her cupboards were empty, except for a few dusty cans of soup, she turned to Clark with a wide grin. "OK, I don't have much in the dry foods department, but I do have a well stocked freezer. What's your poison? Rocky Road? Chunky Monkey? Coffee Heath Bar Crunch? Dublin Mudslide?"

Clark hooked his fingers into his jeans pockets and gazed at her with that same semi-dazed expression he'd been wearing when she'd entered the room. She had no clue what it meant, but she could feel her heart begin to speed up – something it had an annoying tendency to do whenever the full force of his green eyes were focused anywhere near her. Her smile slipped a bit. "Well?" Lois bit out a lot more impatiently than she'd intended.

"Oh! Um…" Clark cleared his throat. "What was the last one?"

"Dublin Mudslide!" Relieved to be able to look at something other than Clark, Lois opened her freezer and pulled out the container. "Irish Cream Liqueur Ice Cream with Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies and a Coffee Fudge Swirl," Lois read out loud and then admitted, "I've never had this one, actually. I got it because it was on sale. But I'm sure it's good. Can't go wrong with a combo of Irish cream, coffee, and chocolate."

Clark couldn't help but grin. "Sounds good, then."

Lois grabbed two spoons out of the drawer and – in an effort be a good hostess – a couple of root beers out of the fridge. She handed Clark a bottle and a spoon and then settled down on the sofa just as the opening credits began to roll. Clark looked around and then moved the pillow resting next to Lois so he could sit down right next to her.

Lois took a quick bite of the ice cream and held out the container to Clark. He slid his spoon in and scooped out a little. He lifted it to his lips and licked it off, all the while not taking his eyes of Lois. "Hhhmm… it's pretty good. You're right, this is a good combo."

Lois licked her own lips nervously and tried not to stare, while struggling to come up with a coherent response. "Um… yeah. They go well together. The ingredients."

Clark took another scoop and said thoughtfully. "Yeah, they do. Even though, you know, it's not really obvious that they would go together. But it all works out."

Suddenly, Lois felt like they weren't talking about ice cream, anymore. And she wasn't sure how she felt about that. She turned away from Clark purposefully and watched the movie for a few minutes in silence. Finally, she said, "You do realize that I'm picking the theme from now on, right? I mean, dog movies, Smallville? What were you thinking? Every movie ends with the dogs dying."

"Nope, not in the "Shaggy Dog"," Clark replied lightly, clearly getting the message that they were moving on.

Lois rolled her eyes. "Next marathon? It's gonna be Star Wars. We need some Vader after this."

Clark turned to her and studied her for a moment. "It's a deal – under one condition."

"Oh yeah?" Lois's brow rose and she asked in a challenging tone, "What would that be?"

"You have to wear this same outfit."

"Wha… what?" Lois choked out.

Clark's gaze raked over her from her hair to her feet. "I like it. You look nice."

Lois took a deep breath, trying to keep her heart rate under control. "Um… a… OK. Sure." She turned to him and clinked her spoon against his. "It's a deal."

"Good." Clark turned his focus back on the movie, but not until after he'd dropped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to him.

Lois hid a smile as she took another bite of the ice cream.

~ ~ ~ ~


	2. Drabble 2

**Don't Wait Up**

Smallville to Lane 7:51pm: Where are you, Lois?

Lane to Smallville 7:53pm: Nowhere.

Smallville to Lane 7:54pm: It is against the laws of physics for you to be nowhere.

Lane to Smallville 7:59pm: OK, then I'm somewhere.

Smallville to Lane 8:00pm: Where, exactly?

Lane to Smallville 8:05pm: Why?

Smallville to Lane 8:06pm: Worried about you. You're not chasing after the story, are you?

Lane to Smallville 8:08pm: Am I?

Smallville to Lane 8:09pm: LOIS!

Lane to Smallville 8:11pm: Don't worry. Will be home soon. Don't wait up. XO XO

Smallville to Lane 8:12pm: I AM worried and I WILL wait up.

Smallville to Lane 8:17pm: Lois?

Smallville to Lane 8:24pm: If you don't reply in 2 min, I'm calling the police.

Lane to Smallville 9:13pm: Hope you didn't call police. Blur took care of it. Coming home now. Got a great story. Did you make dinner?


	3. Drabble 3

**Need a Ride?**

Smallvilleto Lane 2:59pm: When are you getting back in town?

Lane to Smallville 3:05pm: Aren't you having fun without me, Smallville?

Smallville to Lane 3:06pm: Of course not.

Lane to Smallville 3:07pm: Perfect answer.

Smallville to Lane 3:08pm: So when are you getting back?

Lane to Smallville 3:10pm: If all goes well, tomorrow.

Smallville to Lane 3:11pm: Need a ride from the airport?

Lane to Smallville 3:13pm: Oliver's picking me up.

Smallville to Lane 3:20pm: No, he's not.

Lane to Smallville 3:21pm: What? Why not?

Smallville to Lane 3:22pm: It turns out he's going to be busy around then.

Lane to Smallville 3:24pm: OK. Then I need a ride. I'll ask Chloe.

Smallville to Lane 3:25pm: Lois!

Lane to Smallville 3:26pm: What?!?!

Smallville to Lane 3:27pm: Ask me.

Lane to Smallville 3:29pm: Ask you what?

Smallville to Lane 3:30pm: Just say it.

Lane to Smallville 3:31pm: Say what?

Smallville to Lane 3:32pm: Say: Clark, will you pick me up from the airport?

Lane to Smallville 3:34pm: What a nice offer, Smallville. I accept. I'll e-mail you my itinerary tonight! XO, XO, Lois.

_**And a bonus:**_

Scout to Arrow 3:14pm: Are you picking up Lois from the airport tomorrow?

Arrow to Scout 3:15pm: Hold on, let me check my calendar.

Arrow to Scout 3:16pm: Yeah, I am.

Scout to Arrow 3:17pm: You remember she's MY girlfriend now, right?

Arrow to Scout 3:18pm: What does that have to do with picking her up from the airport? She asked me to do this weeks ago – BEFORE you were her boyfriend.

Scout to Arrow 3:19pm: Well, you're busy. I'll pick her up.

Arrow to Scout 3:20pm: Suit yourself. You do realize you sound like a jealous a$$, right?

Scout to Arrow 3:21pm: You do realize I can beat you to a pulp, right?

Arrow to Scout 3:22pm: I see Lois has started rubbing off on you already. God help us all.

Ollie to Lois 3:21pm: You have one jealous boyfriend, Lane.

Lois to Ollie 3:22pm: What? Why?

Ollie to Lois 3:23pm: Apparently, I'm not allowed to pick you up from the airport.

Lois to Ollie 3:25pm: I thought that would piss him off.


	4. Drabble 4

**Dinner at the Farm **

Clark walked into his well lit kitchen and came to a screeching halt at the gorgeous view of his girlfriend leaning over to study the contents of his open refrigerator. That, of course, wasn't the sight that made him pause. No, he stopped to admire the curve of her butt in her skin tight jeans and the one inch of sun-tanned skin peeking out between said jeans and her t-shirt.

His mouth suddenly felt very dry and, self-consciously, he cleared his throat. Not a good idea, because Lois jumped up and hit her head on the top of the fridge.

"Ow, shit!" Lois cried out and lifted her hand to rub the top of her head, completely oblivious that this motion caused her shirt to ride up a couple of more inches. This, of course, resulted in Clark completely ignoring her injury and focusing on her bare midriff, instead. That earned him another glare from Lois. "Clark! Give a girl a heads up next time."

Clark laughed. "Heads up?"

Lois winced. "Bad choice of words." She gave the side of her head a final, rueful, rub.

Clark smiled and walked over to inspect her injury. He did a quick x-ray and saw, with relief, that there wasn't a bump. Given the sheer number of head injuries Lois went through in a month, it was amazing she was still functional. He slid his fingers through her hair and gently stroked the tender area.

"Sorry. I'll be sure to announce that I'm about to enter the room before I enter the room next time." He let his fingers move down to the side of her face and began rubbing her lips with his thumb as he leaned down closer. With a teasing smile, he asked, "But what if that makes you get hurt? Do I have to call you to let you know that I'm about to announce that I'm entering the room? Is this part of your rules for dating?"

"Hey, don't mock the rules, Smallville," Lois retorted, but her lips were quirked up in a grin. "Just a simple, 'hey Lois' will work." Her voice grew a husky as she added, "If it's followed up with 'your royal highness, I'm here to be your love slave', then you're golden." She decided that two could play at the game of seduction and her tongue darted out to lick his thumb.

Clark's eyes were focused on her mouth and he drew in a quick breath at the feel of her soft lips and moist tongue on his skin. Letting out a quick groan, he wrapped one arm around her to pull her in closer for a kiss. He felt her arms go around him and bring him flush against her. His lips descended on hers, sucking and stroking until he felt he would explode if he didn't take her right then. He brought both of his hands down past her hips, and grasped the back of her legs to wrap them around his waist. He heard her moan against his mouth as he ground himself against her. She reciprocated by roughly tangling her fingers in his hair and stroking his lips with her tongue. In response, he placed her on the kitchen counter and started to work his hands up under her shirt. When he found the clasp of her bra, he deftly began to unhook the fragile material.

"Clark, wait," Lois gasped, as she broke away and tried to extricate herself from his hold without falling off the counter.

His reaction was immediate and let her go; gently setting her back on her feet. She placed her hand on his chest and looked up at him with hazel eyes still lit up in passion. Her look was almost his undoing. He wanted to ignore her words and continue what they had started. What did Ollie call him? A boy scout. That's what he was – a stupid boy scout who didn't even know how to seduce his own girlfriend. He didn't know what to do.

Lois shook her head slightly, trying to gain control of the situation. "We agreed to take it slow," Lois reminded him. Her swollen lips and aching body was screaming at her that she was an idiot, but she firmly told them both to calm down. "Look, I want this," she indicated between them and her gaze slid down involuntarily. "As much as you do…."

Clark flushed in embarrassment and looked away from her.

"No, wait, I don't mean it like that." Lois shook her head. She lifted her hand to stroke his jaw, feeling the beginnings of a stubble rough against her fingers. "I want you. More than anything else in the world." She turned his face towards her until he was looking right into her eyes. "But I don't think it's a good idea for us to jump ahead to this. We've both been hurt in the past and this… it's… complicated."

Clark stepped back, rubbed the back of his neck, and then shook his head. "No, it's not. We've been through this," he reminded her. "You're the one who thinks this is complicated. I don't. I like you; you like me." Clark hesitated, debating if he should continue, but his frustration urged him forward. "In fact, I think…" he paused and then deliberately looked her straight in the eye. "… I _know_ I'm in love with you."

Lois's jaw dropped in horror. "Clark! You're not supposed to say that! It's rule #6 – we will not use the 'L' word for at least a year."

Clark's eyes narrowed in annoyance. "Well, you know, Lois, sometimes it's hard for me to keep the rules straight. Is that before or after the rule where we're not allowed to tell anyone we're dating?"

Lois frowned a bit. "That's not one of the rules. That's just common sense. If the folks at the DP found out we're dating, it would be hell on both of our reputations. But mainly mine." Lois shrugged. "I don't make the rules, Smallville, but the truth is that women who go around dating their co-workers -."

"I know, I know," Clark cut her off. "You're worried about looking unprofessional. But that doesn't explain Chloe or my mom. Why can't we tell them? You won't tell _anybody_."

"What do you mean? Ollie knows."

Clark rolled his eyes. "Ollie knows because he walked in on us one day when we were – ."

Now it was Lois's turn to flush. "Ok, ok," Lois cut in quickly. It had taken her weeks to get the image of her ex boyfriend walking in on her making out with her current boyfriend out of her head. She did not want to go there again. "Look, I'll tell Chloe," Lois impulsively promised. "Next week, for sure."

Clark furrowed his brow in confusion. "Why next week?"

"Just because, you know…" Lois hedged.

Clark recognized the look in her eyes. It was the look she always got when she was planning something. "Because you think that you'll manage to get around it by then? That you'll get me to change my mind?"

"Of course not," Lois looked hurt that he could even suggest that. "I just have a busy week this week. I'm going out of town for that story and Chloe has stuff going on."

Clark decided to drop it. "What about my mom?"

"Mrs. Kent?"

"Yes, Lois," Clark answered patiently, "I have only one mother. And her name is Mrs. Kent. I want to tell her about us. She loves you; she'll be over the moon."

Dismayed, Lois shook her head vehemently. "We are not telling your mom. Or the General. Or any relatives at all."

Clark gave her a look that spoke volumes.

"Except Chloe," Lois amended quickly. "She's the only exception."

Clark pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling a headache coming on. "Why? Why is she the only exception?"

_Because I don't want the world to know until I know it's real,_ Lois thought to herself, silently. The fact was that Clark just didn't get it. He'd spent years loving one girl and when she left him, the world had mourned the loss of his epic romance with him. She spent years waiting for the love of her life to show up only to find out that another girl had staked her claim on him first. And everyone they knew was very much aware of that. Lois knew the comparisons were inevitable. But that didn't mean that she had to add fuel to the fire and jump start the talk. Not to mention the fact that she didn't even know if he was going to stick around. What if Lana came back? What if he had temporarily lost his marbles and was only having fun with Lois until he met someone who made more sense for him to be with? What if Lois was just the rebound girl? Lois had spent her whole life watching people leave her. If Clark was going to be added to the list, she sure as hell didn't want it to be known publically.

She didn't say any of this out loud, however. Instead, she just took a deep breath and firmly reiterated, "We're not telling Mrs. Kent."

"What are we not telling Mrs. Kent?" An amused voice asked from the entrance of the kitchen.

Startled, two pairs of eyes turned to the newcomer.

Clark was the first to recover. "Mom!" He let out a delighted whoop and rushed to engulf his mother up in a bear hug. She was laughing by the time he let her go, swatting him away gently.

Lois plastered a grin on her face, hoping 'I made out with your son right here in your kitchen!!' wasn't written all over her face. "Mrs. K! How are you?"

Martha gave Lois an odd look. "Lois, what's wrong? I haven't seen you in months and that's the reaction I get? Where's my hug?"

Lois blinked. "Of course, sorry." She shook her head and rushed forward to give Martha quick hug and peck on the cheek. "What are you doing here? You should have told me; I would have picked you up from the airport."

Martha returned the hug. "Honestly, dear, I wasn't sure when I was going to get in." She smiled at Lois fondly. "I had told Clark I'd be here this weekend, but my meeting was cancelled this afternoon. So, I thought, 'why not just go early?' It was such a spur of the moment thing; I really didn't think it would make sense to call you."

"Oh, right, I forgot you were visiting this weekend," Lois replied easily, starting to feel her heart rate go back to normal. "You know," she added, glancing at Clark, "I think I'll leave you two to catch up. You haven't seen each other in so long." She started inching her way towards the exit.

"Lois…" Clark began, in a warning tone.

At the same time Martha broke in, "Don't be silly, Lois, you need to stay for dinner." Martha indicated towards the grocery bags she'd left on the floor. "I stopped by on the way to pick up groceries for dinner." She gave her son a chiding look. "You've lost weight. I just knew that you would stop eating without your mother around to look after you." She turned to Lois with a smile. "Sweetheart, why don't you help by making the salad? I'll whip up lasagna in no time. I bet you haven't had a home-cooked meal in months."

Lois's mouth watered at the mere mention of Martha's famous lasagna. "Uh… salad? Sure." She studiously avoided Clark's gaze as she walked over to the groceries and picked up the first bag.

The two spent the next ten minutes chatting with Martha while unloading the groceries and getting dinner started. Lois was just beginning to relax and get in the spirit of chopping cucumbers when Martha asked casually, "So, what was it that you didn't want to tell me?"

Lois lost the grip on her knife and it slipped, cutting into the soft flesh of her thumb. "Oh, shit!" She watched as a bright red drop of blood welled up and then glanced at Martha. "Sorry!" Lois made her way to the sink and ran the cold water, breathing a sigh of relief when the water hit her hand, lessening the sting immediately.

"Of course, it's OK," Martha's brow furrowed in concern. She rushed up to Lois and grabbed her hand. "Are you OK?" She analyzed it and pronounced, "It's fine, it's not deep." She put Lois's hand back under the water and asked Clark, "Sweetie, can you get her a band-aid? I can't leave the sauce."

"Already have it right here," Clark held up the first aid kit. He opened it up, pulled out the band-aid and then walked over to the sink to help Lois.

She held out her hand expectantly. "Here, I can do it."

"It's fine," Clark responded. "I'll do it."

"I can do it, Smallville," Lois insisted.

"No, you can't, Lois," Clark retorted. "One hand is bleeding and the other one is sopping wet. How is that going to work?"

"You are so annoying!"

"You are such a control freak!"

Martha looked up from her sauce long to enough to chuckle. "You two. Some things never change." Then she turned to Lois and chided her. "Lois, he's right. Just let him help you."

Clark gave her a triumphant look as he pulled her hand out the water. He gently wiped off the water with a bit of gauze he had pulled from the first aid kit. He moved closer to her – far closer than was necessary, in Lois's opinion – to wrap the injury with a band-aid.

"There," he said softly, and then added in such a low voice that Lois could only hear, "Do you want me to kiss it to make it all better?"

Lois jumped back like she'd been burned. "No!" she exclaimed, casting a panicked look at Clark's mother, in fear that she'd overheard.

Clark grinned at her, clearly enjoying her discomfort.

"Clark, why don't you finish making the salad?" Martha interjected. "I've put the lasagna in the oven and it'll be done in about half an hour. Lois, if you're up for it, why don't you set the table?"

"Of course I'm up for it, Mrs. Kent," Lois replied, shooting Clark a nasty look in exchange for the wink he'd just directed her way. "Why don't you tell us more about your time in Washington? I love hearing your stories about the glamorous life of a senator."

"Well, honey, I've told you; it's not so glamorous, I'm afraid."

The next thirty minutes were some of the most nerve racking minutes of Lois's life. And she'd been to boot camp, so that was saying something. She kept up a steady stream of conversation with Martha, all the while trying to keep the older woman's gaze away from Clark. Clark, for his part, was doing his best to get in Lois's way every time she made a trip from the kitchen to the dining room, even though the kitchen island wasn't anywhere near the cabinets and drawers that held the cutlery and china. Somehow, he still managed to brush up against her or block her path _every single time_. He seemed to be everywhere she was. And, yet, whenever she turned to accuse him of invading her personal space, he seemed to be at the island, chopping up lettuce and tomatoes innocently, like he'd never left.

By the time they finally settled down to eat dinner, her nerves were shot to hell. She grabbed one of the glasses of wine she'd poured for herself and Mrs. Kent and took a deep swallow.

"So, Lois, you never told me," Martha reminded her, once everyone had served themselves. "What was it that you didn't want Mrs. Kent to know?"

Lois had expected the question, this time, so she was prepared. Without bothering to look at Clark, she explained, "I broke your yellow vase the last time I was here. I was offering to replace it and Smallville here," at that she gave Clark a false smile, "wouldn't let me. So, you know, I was just saying that I didn't want to tell you about the vase. I would rather just replace it. I'm so embarrassed."

Clark gave her an exasperated look and Lois smiled sweetly back at him. She was proud of herself, given the fact that the story was actually not a lie. A week ago, Lois _had_ broken the vase. And she _had_ offered to replace it. The detail that she was skipping, of course, had to do with _how_ the vase broke. That involved a heavy make out session with Clark that no one needed to know about.

Martha glanced between to the two of them with an odd look. After a minute, she nodded. "Clark was right, dear, you don't need to replace it. It had no real value. I got it from a garage sale years ago. I don't even think you'd find it, anywhere." And then she added with mock outrage, "And don't think that I like that you wanted to hide it from me, Lois! I would think that we're close enough that you should feel like you can tell me anything."

"Yeah, Lois," Clark said pointedly. "You can tell my mom _anything_. You should remember that."

Lois made a face at Clark and then turned to give Martha a genuine smile. "Yes, I know, Mrs. K. I'm sorry – I don't know what I was thinking."

Martha smiled back and then turned to Clark, "So, sweetheart, how are you? I've been so worried about you these past few months."

Clark patted his mother on her hand in a reassuring way. "I'm fine, Mom, I told you not to worry about me."

"Wait until you have children of your own and then I'll ask if it's as easy as that," Martha responded. "You've had such a dreadful year. First, with Lana. She breaks up with you on a DVD and then comes back just to leave again." She focused on Lois, "You know what I'm talking about, Lois; you were there. Is he really better now or is he just saying it for his mother's benefit?"

"Mom," Clark began uneasily, not liking the direction this conversation, "Lois doesn't really want to talk about what happened between me and Lana --."

"Nonsense, Smallville," Lois interjected with a huge grin. "I'm more than happy to make your mom feel better. Mrs. K – it's true that Lana ripped Smallville's heart into tiny little shreds. And, yes, it's true that he cried like a little girl…" Lois ignored the dirty look Clark sent her way at that one. "…BUT… I think he's over it now. I think that he has finally come to realize that he just wasn't meant to be with Lana," Lois finished briskly, not wanting to convey how much she hoped her words were true. She leaned a bit over the table to add, "At least, that's what we're all hoping, because – God knows – none of us want to re-live hearing about THAT saga, again."

Martha cast a skeptical glance at her son. "Clark, is this true? You're completely over Lana?"

Even though his response was directed to his mother, his eyes were focused on Lois, who was studiously avoiding his gaze. "Actually, Mom," he replied in a thoughtful voice, "Lois is telling the truth. In fact, she's leaving something out."

As he suspected, Lois's head whipped up to face him. She gave an imperceptible shake of her head in an effort to stop him. He smiled at her and ignored her. "Lois, why don't you tell my Mom the rest of it?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, Smallville." Lois primly patted her mouth with her napkin.

"What _are_ you talking about, Clark?" Martha frowned at her son. "Why don't _you_ just tell me?"

"Well, the thing is…" Clark drawled out, enjoying the expression on Lois's face as she tried to convey just how much she was going to hurt him later. At the last minute, he changed his mind and just simply confessed, "I'm seeing someone." He turned to his mother. "We've been together for about a month now."

Martha looked delighted. "That's wonderful! Lois, did you know about this?" she asked. "Do you know her?"

In the face of Martha's excitement and happiness, Lois found herself admitting, "Yes, I knew about it and, yes, I know her." Lois consoled herself with the knowledge that neither of the two statements were, technically, a lie.

Suddenly, Martha looked worried and frowned a bit. "Wait, she doesn't work at the Planet, does she?" She turned to Clark and asked, "You're not dating a co-worker, are you? Or, worse, your boss?" Her eyes widened in dismay as though a thought just occurred to her. "It's not that dreadful Tess woman, is it?"

Clark choked a bit. "No, no, it's not Tess."

"Good," Martha let out a sigh of relief. "Because, you know, it's never a good idea to mix business with pleasure. Lois, _you_ know what I'm talking about, sweetheart. Remember all the problems you had when you were sneaking around with Grant?" She paused and added, "God rest his soul, poor thing."

"Grant? That guy who was the editor at the DP for awhile?" Clark looked at Lois sharply. "When were you sneaking around with Grant?"

Lois took a fortifying sip of her wine, trying to formulate an answer. She smiled at Martha. "Mrs. K, no one was supposed to know about that."

"Oh right!" Martha looked guilty and held up her empty glass of wine. "Sorry. I think I've indulged a bit too much tonight. But, Lois, really, it's okay to talk about it. It was over two years ago and the poor boy…." Her voice trailed off, because everyone at the table could fill in the blanks.

"That's true," Lois responded lamely in an effort to end the in the silence. She turned to Clark. "I dated Grant for awhile when he first became editor. Right when I first started at the DP. We broke up a couple of months before he was killed."

Clark tightened his grip on his water glass. "Why didn't you ever tell me this?"

Lois shrugged. "What was there to tell, Smallville? We were only together for three months. And we couldn't tell anyone; he was my boss. How would that have looked?"

"I wouldn't have judged you, Lois," Clark answered in a hurt voice.

"Look," Lois let out a bit of a frustrated breath. "You were focused on your own problems. You and Lana had some things going on…" _Like always_, she thought in her head. "I was in a bad place, you know, because of Ollie. I mean, I was only with Grant to get over Ollie. It was weird…."

Clark eyes narrowed. "Let me get this straight. You dated someone at work to get over Ollie? And, for whatever reason, you thought that your relationship with this guy wasn't worth telling other people about?"

"Yes," Lois nodded. Suddenly, she realized what he'd just said and she shook her head vehemently. "No, wait, that's not it, at all."

"Then what was it, Lois? Enlighten me."

"He…" Lois struggled to think of what to say. "He broke up with me, Smallville." Lois's lips twisted into a bitter semblance of a smile as she thought back to that night. "On Christmas Eve, actually. And, then, two months later, he was killed during a random mugging. The last conversation I had with him was in my apartment, on Christmas Eve, when he dumped me. That's not the sort of relationship that one goes about bragging about when they're talking about their dating history." Lois looked at Clark, willing him to understand. "I didn't hide my relationship with him because I wanted to, but – at the end of the day – it was the right decision. Chloe was right; if people knew that we'd been dating there would have been so much talk about how I only got the job because of him or that I wouldn't be able to keep it up when he was no longer there." Lois shook her head. "I was too new; too green, to be able to just coast through that."

"And now?" Clark asked, his voice breaking a bit. He held his breath, waiting for her response. "Are you still too green? Too new?"

Lois swallowed. "I don't know, Smallville."

"Yes, you do." Clark gave her a look of pure challenge. "I know that I'm over Lana; I've moved on and I'm not scared of what's ahead. Are you?"

There was tense silence in the room for a moment, while Lois and Clark stared at each other.

Lois realized that there was no going back from this. She could move back and allow her fears to come between them or she could give Clark, at least, this much.

Taking a deep breath, she turned to Clark's mother, who had been silent during this whole exchange and admitted, "Mrs. K, the person Clark is dating is me. We're…um… officially a couple."

Martha looked at Lois and then looked at Clark. "I know," She said calmly and took a bite of her salad.

Lois blinked. "What?"

Martha rolled her eyes. "For the past two months, all I've heard from Clark is 'Lois this; Lois that; oh, Mom, Lois is so funny; oh, Mom, Lois came over for movie night…'"

Clark flushed and Lois grinned at him, thinking about how she'd hold it over his head later.

"And you, Lois, were the same," Martha added, with a smile. "Every e-mail, every phone call, all you could talk about was how grown up Clark was; how mature; and how I would be so very proud of him." She gave them both a warm, motherly, smile. "I knew all along. I was just waiting for you both to realize and – most importantly – to admit it to me!" She laughed a bit. "Why do you think I brought up Lana and Grant? I admit, I was hoping it would push your buttons and make you tell me the truth. Something you both should have done from the beginning, might I add."

Clark had the grace to look ashamed.

"Mrs. K, who knew you had it in you?" Lois marveled at Martha's deviousness with admiration clear in her voice. "And I didn't think I could respect you anymore than I already did."

"Well, I am a senator, dear," Martha responded archly. "I hope that Washington taught me _something_ about politics."

Clark and Lois both laughed.

"Now, why don't you lovebirds clear the table while I get brownies started?" Martha's green eyes sparkled with mischief. "Now that everything's out in the open, I'm ready to start grilling you both for real, this time."


	5. Drabble 5

**A/N: **This was my spec on how things would go downafter the kiss in "Crossfire". It ended up not going down that way, so this an AU one-shot.

**_______________**

**After the Kiss **

Lois broke away from Clark, registering that they were still at the Planet. She stepped back and looked around, realizing that their co-workers were standing in a circle, some were clapping and grinning; one person let out a whoop. She flushed.

"Uh…" Lois looked up at Clark helplessly.

Clark glanced around, looking embarrassed, too, with a slightly bemused smile. He cleared his throat a bit and put his hands in his pockets.

As though in effort to clear the fog from her mind, she shook her head and headed back towards her desk. She grabbed her purse and turned to everyone in the bullpen as she slung the strap over her shoulder. "OK, guys, very funny. Show's over. Everyone back to work," Lois commanded, working hard to keep her voice even and devoid of embarrassment.

Her words were greeted with a chorus of "aw" and "but…" and she sent a glare to every single person who still lingered. Satisfied that it seemed to work, to some degree, she none-the-less decided it was time to get some air. She brushed past Clark towards the elevator.

"Lois! Wait," Clark called after her, walking quickly to stand next to her as she jabbed the call button repeatedly.

They both stood, side by side, staring straight ahead at the elevator door for a second.

Clark glanced down at her profile out of the corner of his eye. He couldn't read her expression. She had a slight flush on cheeks, but she didn't look angry. She was avoiding his gaze, though. And she was very quiet. Silence was never a good reaction when it came to Lois.

When the elevator door finally pinged and slid open, she went in immediately and he followed. Lois hit the button to close the door and selected the lobby. As soon as the doors closed, she turned to him.

Clark opened his mouth to explain. "Lois, I –"

Whatever he was going to say was lost in a mumble, as Lois grabbed a hold of his tie and tugged him down until his lips were on hers again. Clark reacted instinctively, his arms going around her to bring her flush against him, his tongue tangling up with hers. He claimed her mouth, teasing her and tasting her, feeling her hot against him. She took his kisses and returned them, her fingers threaded through his hair, her other hand gripped around his neck, urging him down harder.

Lois wasn't sure how much time had passed with them locked in their heated embrace, but she did register the elevator's buzz signaling that they arrived at their destination. With some regret, she untangled herself from him and pushed him back a bit.

Clark's eyes were still closed when she broke away and she couldn't help but smile at his expression. "FYI, Smallville, it's usually a good idea to choose this location for a kiss – not the bullpen."

Without waiting for an answer, she smoothed her skirt and hair a bit and left the elevator. Someone waiting right outside said hello and she nodded, not even registering who it was. She turned around and saw Clark right behind her.

Lois looked at her watch and then back at him with disappointment. "Smallville, you have the worst timing in the world."

Clark stopped in his tracks. "What do you mean?"

Lois sighed. "I have to go Gotham for a story. Now that my budding career in television crashed and burned, it's even more important that I make my mark at the Planet." She looked up at him and explained, "There's a press conference in Gotham and I asked Brady to give me the assignment. My plane leaves in three hours. I need to go home and pack."

Clark smiled. "That's OK, I'll come with you and then I can take you to the airport."

Lois's eyes widened in alarm. The thought of Clark in her apartment while she packed for a trip… Clark around all of her bras and underwear. Yeah, not gonna happen. She could barely control herself around him in an elevator in a _public location_. Clark Kent and her in a room full of her underwear with a bed just around the corner? That was asking for trouble.

"Uhh… no, that's OK," Lois replied nervously.

Clark didn't bother to hide his disappointment. "Are you sure?"

"Tell you what, Smallville," Lois put her hand on his chest and leaned closer with a seductive smile, "You can have your second date when I get back. You can pick me up from the airport and we'll go out. And we'll talk some more then."

Clark swallowed. "OK, sounds good."

"Great," Lois grinned. "See you on Thursday, then. Bye, Clark." She stood on tip-toe and gave him a chaste kiss good-bye.

Smallville to Lane 3:29pm: Having fun at the press conference?

Lane to Smallville 3:30pm: Remind me never to move to Gotham. It's stinky, polluted, and too dark.

Smallville to Lane 3:31pm: I'm sure it's not that bad.

Lane to Smallville 3:33pm: It makes Star City look like Disneyworld. And you know how I felt about that place. And people here are so rude.

Smallville to Lane 3:34pm: Are you sure you weren't rude first, Lois?

Lane to Smallville 3:35pm: Very funny, Smallville. You know I'm never rude first.

Smallville to Lane 3:36pm: Riiiigggghht.

Lane to Smallville 3:37pm: I'm choosing to ignore that. I miss Metropolis.

Smallville to Lane 3:38pm: Metropolis? Or Smallville?

Lane to Smallville 3:39pm: Depends. Are we talking about the town or the man?

Smallville to Lane 3:41pm: The town, of course.

Lane to Smallville 3:42pm: Of course. In that case…

Smallville to Lane 3:45pm: ??

Lane to Smallville 3:46pm: Yes, I miss Smallville a lot.

Smallville to Lane 3:47pm: = )

Lane to Smallville 3:48pm: Gotta go… press conference is about to start.


	6. Drabble 6

**Staff Meeting **

Lane to Smallville 10:21am: Late AGAIN!?!? Third staff meeting you almost missed.

Smallville to Lane 10:22am: Accident on Route 345.

Lane to Smallville 10:23am: Wow, a lot of bad drivers between here and Smallville. Brady just gave you a dirty look.

Smallville to Lane 10:24am: Did I miss anything?

Lane to Smallville 10:26am: The usual. Got chewed out because I made the Planet's insurance premiums go up again. Like I can help it.

Smallville to Lane 10:28am: You can help it. Stop doing things that get you almost killed.

Lane to Smallville 10:29am: No one said winning a Pulitzer was easy.

Smallville to Lane 10:30am: Lois, you're obsessed.

Lane to Smallville 10:31am: Am not.

Smallville to Lane 10:32am: Are, too.

Lane to Smallville 10:33am: Am not.

Smallville to Lane 10:34am: Are, too.

Lane to Smallville 10:42am: Good job, Smallville. You got me reamed out again.

Smallville to Lane 10:44am: Did I tell you to stick your tongue out at me in front of everyone? What did you THINK was going to happen?

Lane to Smallville 10:45am: If you don't stop smiling, I'm going to make a very public announcement about your Snoopy boxers.

Smallville to Lane 10:47am: Then I'll be forced to make a very public announcement about your Minnie Mouse pajamas.

Smallville to Lane 10:50am: I knew I could get you to stick your tongue out again. Too bad about your phone. I'm sure Brady will give it back after the meeting. If you ask nicely.

Smallville to Lane 10:52am: You DO know how to ask nicely, don't you?


	7. Drabble 7

**Girls' Night In**

Smallville to Lane 7:14pm: What are you doing? Want to get some dinner?

Lane to Smallville 7:15pm: I told you – I'm having dinner with Chloe. Movie night.

Smallville to Lane 7:16pm: Oh. What movie?

Lane to Smallville 7:18pm: Nice try, Smallville. You're not invited. GIRLS ONLY.

Smallville to Lane 7:20pm: I know. Just wondering what the movie is. You're not forcing Chloe to watch Jaws, are you?

Lane to Smallville 7:21pm: No, I'm forcing her to watch little puppies. Wait, that would be you.

Smallville to Lane 7:22pm: You just hate dog movies because they make you cry.

Lane to Smallville 7:23pm: I just pretended I was crying to make you feel better about YOUR tears.

Smallville to Lane 7:24pm: Whatever you've got to tell yourself, Lois. So, what movie is it?

Lane to Smallville 7:26pm: While You Were Sleeping. To be followed up with Sleepless in Seattle and Princess Bride.

Smallville to Lane 7:27pm: I'm really happy I'm not invited.

Lane to Smallville 7:28pm: Really?? Looks like I just found the theme of our next movie night.

Smallville to Lane 7:29pm: I thought we were doing Star Wars?

Lane to Smallville 7:30pm: That was before I knew that chick-flicks made you unhappy.

Smallville to Lane 7:31pm: They don't make me unhappy. I just think they're boring and completely unrealistic.

Lane to Smallville 7:33pm: You mean you wouldn't come back from the dead for me? Smallville, I'm so hurt.

Smallville to Lane 7:35pm: I wouldn't be dumb enough to die in the first place.

Lane to Smallville 7:36pm: No, really. Hypothetically speaking, would you pull a Wesley and come back for Buttercup, no matter what?

Smallville to Lane 7:37pm: I have no idea what that means. What's a Buttercup? Is it like a reese's pieces?

Lane to Smallville 7:39pm: WHAT? No, it's… you know what, never mind.

Smallville to Lane 7:43pm: Lois, if you're asking if I'd do anything for you, then, hypothetically speaking, I would move heaven and earth to be with you….

Lane to Smallville 7:45pm: =)

Smallville to Lane 7:46pm: ….I would just prefer not to, though. ; )

Lane to Smallville 7:48pm: V. funny. Just for that, we're having a fairy tale marathon next Friday.

Smallville to Lane 7:49pm: Bring it on… I happen to know the affect all those movies have on you, so I'm not complaining.

_ _ _

Chloe to Lois and Clark 7:50pm: Will you both knock it off?!?!? We're trying to watch a movie here, Clark! Lois, your giggling is distracting!

Lois to Chloe 7:51pm: Sorry!

Clark to Chloe 7:51pm: Sorry, Chloe. Have fun with your movie night.

_ _ _

Lane to Smallville 7:52pm: Oh, oh, we better go. Good night. Sleep tight.

Smallville to Lane 7:53pm: I'd sleep better if you were here. ; )

Lane to Smallville 7:54pm: Sweetheart, you wouldn't be SLEEPING if I was there.

Smallville to Lane 7:55pm: Promises, promises. When are you going to deliver?

_ _ _

Chloe to Lois and Clark 7:56pm: Lois. If you just wanna go hang out with Clark, that's fine. Leave me here. With three chick flicks. All by myself.

Lois to Chloe and Clark 7:57pm: All right, all right. Smallville, I have to go – she pulled out the guilt card.

Clark to Lois and Chloe 7:58pm: Chloe, one of these days, we're going to have to talk about your timing.

Lois to Chloe and Clark 7:59pm: He's right, Chlo.

Chloe to Lois and Clark 8:00pm: Lois, why are you texting me when we're sitting in the same room?

Lois to Chloe and Clark 8:02pm: Good point. Smallville, I gotta go. For real, this time. Chloe is giving me a death stare. If she was Vader, I'd be dead right now.

Clark to Lois and Chloe 8:03pm: OK, have fun.

_ _ _

Smallville to Lane 8:11pm: I forgot to ask, what are you wearing?

Lane to Smallville 8:13pm: She's wearing her helicopter flannel pajamas, Clark. If you want to know more, you'll have to ask me, because I took away her phone. Love, Chloe.


	8. Drabble 8

**Bizarro**

_Watchtower_

The two friends stared at Clark, dismayed by his announcement.

"Bizarro?" Chloe immediately turned to her trusty keyboard and started typing away. "How is that even possible, Clark?"

"I'm not sure," Clark answered, honestly. "Jor-el didn't explain much. It has something to do with Zod. My speculation is that he was looking for Faora," Clark added, thinking back to the last time he was stuck in the Phantom Zone.

Oliver nodded and went to the large closet of supplies he kept in the back room. He emerged in full Green Arrow mode. "Well, no need to stand around chit-chatting about motives. We can figure that all out later. Right now, you've got an evil twin running around we need to worry about."

Clark shook his head. "No, Oliver. I'll take care of it – you're not going to be able to go up against him."

"Well, didn't Lana beat him last time, Clark?" Chloe pointed out, not even bothering to look away from the computer screen. She was triangulating coordinates in the hopes that she could figure out where Bizarro would have landed. "I'm sure Ollie could be of _some_ help to you."

Clark considered his good friend for a moment. After some hesitation, he replied reluctantly, "OK, fine. But the second it becomes too much, I want you to pull out."

Oliver nodded, although it was clear from his amused expression that he had no intention of following Clark's orders.

"Chloe, do you have an idea of where he could be? Or should I look for him the old fashioned way?" Clark stood next to her, analyzing the screens that kept flashing different continents every two seconds.

"Give me one second, Clark…."

_Kent Farmhouse_

Lois opened the door. She tried to balance the groceries under one arm while pushing the door shut behind her with the other. After a second, she managed to get to the counter with no issues, setting the laden bag on the island. She tilted her head, thinking that something was off. Looking around, she realized that Shelby hadn't come up to greet her.

"Shelby??" Lois called out, heading into the living room. "Where are you, girl? Want some food?"

Lois stopped in her tracks when she saw the tall figure in the living room, looking through the pictures on the mantle. She smiled.

"Clark?" Lois grinned in appreciation as he turned around to face her. He was holding a framed picture of Lois in one hand. His expression was unreadable, but he definitely didn't look happy. Her smile faded and she asked uncertainly, "What are you doing here? I thought you were supposed to be working? You had that meeting?"

Clark's expression cleared. He smiled and set the photo back down gently on the mantel. "It was cancelled. So, I thought I'd come home." Glancing back at the photo, he added in a silky voice, "I thought I'd find you and spend some time with you."

Lois gave him an odd look. "So, you were looking for me on the _mantle_? Why didn't you just text me?"

Clark shook his head. "I lost my phone." With a grin, he moved closer to her, blatantly checking her out. "Wow, Lois you look _great_."

She found herself feeling a little weirded out at his words. She shook her head slightly, shrugging off the feeling. "If you think that you can just get around me by complimenting me…." She laughed and moved closer to him, putting her hand on his chest, "You're right."

He looked down at her with a smoldering look, not bothering to mask his desire. He leaned down and touched her lips with his, hot and demanding. Lois took his kiss eagerly, matching his roughness with a hard kiss of her own. After a couple of seconds, though, she started to pull away… something was definitely off. She couldn't quite put her finger out it, but something wasn't quite right.

Lois broke away and took a couple of steps back. Her eyes narrowed on Clark's face and she looked at him from top to bottom. He was wearing that red t-shirt again. Lois suddenly realized that she hadn't seen him wear that red t-shirt in quite awhile. Maybe that was what was putting her off. It wasn't just that, though. She searched his eyes and didn't like what she saw. Something was _definitely_ wrong.

"Lois? What's wrong?" He smiled reassuringly, but the smile didn't quite reach his eyes.

Lois shook her head. "No, everything's fine." She plastered a bright smile on and tried to meet his eyes as she lied. "Look, why don't you go upstairs and I'll join you in a second? I just remembered that I have to e-mail my editor. You know how he gets when I don't give him the full scoop on time. That story I'm working on – the one about the mayor?"

Clark considered her, as though trying to figure out whether or not she was lying. After a moment, he smiled and smoothly replied, "Yeah, I remember. Don't take long, though."

"Of course not," Lois replied, through a bright, fake, grin. There was no story about the mayor – Clark would have known that.

The second she saw him head up the stairs, she took out her phone and began typing in frantic message to Clark as she headed for the exit. She considered calling him, but realized that the man upstairs might hear her speaking.

Lane to Smallville 6:29pm: Where are you? Come home RIGHT NOW. Think there's evil twin in your house.

She hit "send" on her phone and pulled out her keys from her pocket, deciding it was best to leave the Kent farm and meet Clark somewhere else. She hadn't even taken one step when she felt a hand grab her on the arm. He whirled her around to face him. Lois shivered. She'd never seen that expression on Clark before and it was freaking her out. Without a word, he grabbed the phone out of her hand and he crushed it with no effort.

Tossing it aside, he gave her a disappointed look. "Why are you running away? I wasn't going to hurt you."

"Who are you?" Lois asked, taking a few steps back. His grip on her arm wouldn't let her move too far back. "I know you're not Clark."

"You do?" His lips twisted into a bitter smile. "After just two minutes? I was with Lana for weeks and she never figured it out."

Lois's eyes widened in shock and she felt bile move up her throat at the images his words evoked. "That's…" Lois tried to find a retort and ended with a lame, "…disgusting."

"Lana didn't think so," he responded. He looked in the distance, as though he was speaking to her, but he was really somewhere else in the past. "We loved each other. She loved me," he said fiercely, looking at Lois. "_More_ than she loved him. I made her happy more than he did."

"That's great, so, why don't you go find HER and leave me alone?" Lois suggested with a little more snark than she'd intended. "Why harass me?"

"I did come here for her," he replied. "And I found you, instead." He looked her up and down, frank appreciation in his eyes. "You're really pretty."

Lois cringed. "Look, generally, it's not a good idea to pick up one girl while waxing poetic about another one, OK?"

"She betrayed me," he said simply and pulled her closer to him. "But you won't do that, will you? You seem like a nice girl. Not sneaky."

Lois snorted. "Nice? You _must_ be crazy. No one has _ever_ said that about me."

Amazingly, he gave her a genuine smile. "I like you."

"Thank you. I'd believe you if you weren't kind of holding me hostage."

He stopped smiling. "I'm almost sorry I have to kill you."

Lois's heart stopped for a second. "What? Why? You don't have to kill me. You don't have to do anything."

"I have to make him pay."

"Who?" She tugged, trying to break his hold on her. His grip was like steel; she could feel bruises starting to form where his fingers dug into her arm. "Please," she said a bit desperately, "You don't have to do this. Seriously, killing is _never_ the answer. Ever. It's not even worth it. I mean, you would think it is, but it's really not. Trust me, I did a story on the death row once and all the inmates said…."

He looked down at her with annoyance. "You talk too much."

She saw his fist coming towards her and then her world went blank.

_Watchtower_

"Chloe, this is taking too long," Clark said impatiently. "I think I'll just use super-speed to hunt him down."

"Give a girl a minute, Clark. This is not as easy as it looks, OK?" Chloe snapped back.

Suddenly, Oliver interrupted, holding Clark's phone up. "Clark, do you know your phone is buzzing?"

Chloe rolled her eyes. "Great, it's probably a text from Lois." She cast Oliver a sly smile. "Don't give it to him, Oliver. Not unless you want him to spend the next twenty minutes playing cyber footsies with his girlfriend."

Clark flushed and grabbed the phone from Oliver's outstretched hand. "Very funny, Chloe." He hit a button to see what Lois was saying, fully intending to tell her that he'd talk to her later. His face went white when he saw what she'd written. He looked at his companions with horror. "He's at the farm. With Lois."

In a flash, he was gone.

"Wait, Clark…" Oliver's words hung in the air. He turned to Chloe. "Does that ever annoy you?"

"All the time."

Oliver sighed. "Let's take my jet. There's no way he can handle this guy alone. You got the crystal? Genius forgot it."

Chloe held it up. "Right here."

_Kent Farm_

"Lois, wake up. Please, wake up."

As though through a dense fog, Lois heard Clark's desperate voice, and wondered why he was being so dramatic.

"Five more minutes," she mumbled, trying to go back to sleep. "Don't care if I'm late for work."

She heard him laugh and cracked open one eye. She started, suddenly remembering everything that happened. Lois got up, wincing a bit at the pain in her head. Blinking a bit, she looked around and noticed, for the first time, that she was on the sofa in the Kent living room. Clark sat right next to her, a mixture of relief and worry in his green eyes. Oliver stood a few feet away, in full Green Arrow regalia.

"Clark!" Lois breathed and threw her arms around him. She hugged him tightly and he held her on to her for a full moment, not letting her go.

Finally, after a few minutes, Oliver cleared his throat. "OK, well, looks like my work here is done."

Lois broke out of Clark's embrace and stood up. "Oh, Ollie, was it you? Did you get the guy?"

Oliver and Clark exchanged a glance; Oliver's gaze was full of question.

Clark spoke first. "Yes, it was Oliver. After you texted me, I called him." With a bit of a sigh, he admitted, "Oliver saved your life."

"Ollie!" Lois grinned widely and went to give her friend a hug. She stood on tip-toe and kissed him on the cheek. "Remind me to give you a great Christmas present this year."

Oliver gave her a half-grin. "I'll hold you to that, Lois."

"You needed to go, didn't you, Oliver?" Clark reminded him. He grabbed Lois's arm and pulled her back a bit, bring her closer to his side. He thought about how close he'd been to losing her and he put his arm around her, breathing in her scent.

Oliver broke into a huge grin at Clark's not-so-subtle hint. "Ah, yeah, I did. Lives to save, villains to eradicate and all that. See you later, Lois."

After he'd left, Lois turned to Clark and buried herself in his arms. "Are you OK, Smallville." She pulled back to analyze his face and body for any scratches or injuries. "He didn't get to you, did he?"

"I'm fine, Lois," Clark replied reassuringly. "I think you should probably rest, though."

Lois let out a deep sigh. "I'm fine. The truth is, I'm starting to get used to these head injuries. I must have the thickest head in the world."

Clark nodded in a distracted way.

Lois looked at him sharply. "What, no comeback? C'mon, Smallville, I left that one _wide open_. I've taught you better than that." Feeling a bit restless and full of adrenaline, Lois headed into the kitchen to finish the task of putting away the groceries.

Clark followed her to the entrance of the kitchen. He crossed his arms and leaned against the door jam, watching her silently for a minute. After a minute, he finally spoke, "How did you know?"

Lois paused in the act of putting away a can of soup. She glanced back towards him. "What do you mean?"

"How did you know he wasn't me?" Clark's voice was devoid of any emotion.

Lois finished putting away the soup, gaining herself some time before responding. She felt an odd mixture of sympathy and anger course through her. Sympathy towards Clark for what he went through and anger towards Lana for what she'd _put_ him through. She had always known that Lana had done a number on Clark, but every time she felt she'd gotten a handle on the damage Lana had inflicted, she learned something new that made her revise her opinion of the situation all over again. Lois didn't say anything about this, however. Instead, she schooled her features so Clark wouldn't be able to see what she was thinking and then turned to face him.

"I knew because it was obvious," Lois explained lightly. "He was wearing that hideous red t-shirt, for starters. You had promised me that you'd burned all of those, so that was a give-away, right there." Lois began arranging the fresh fruit in the fruit bowl. "Then, of course, there was the obsession with my picture on the mantle. I know that I've cured you of the habit of staring at girls' pictures for no reason."

Clark let out a bit of a laugh. "That is a good picture, though," Clark replied teasingly. "I don't know if I can blame him."

Lois smiled. "But we've talked about this," Lois reminded him. "When you can have the real deal, the picture is just pointless. And if you can't have the real deal, the picture is _still_ pointless."

"And I told you, I prefer having both."

She threw an apple in his direction. He caught it in mid-air, grinned at her, and then took a bite.

Lois tucked her hair behind her ear and then continued. "Really, though, it was when he kissed me."

Clark coughed, choking on the apple. "He kissed you! You let him?!?"

"Calm down, Smallville. It lasted two seconds. And I didn't even like it," Lois answered, crinkling her nose a bit in disgust. "You know how you once told me that I could have a paper bag over my head and you'd still know it was me?"

Clark swallowed. "Yeah?"

Lois skirted the kitchen island to stand right in front of Clark. She looked up at him earnestly, lifting her hand to caress his cheek. "Smallville, you could be standing in a line-up of twenty of your evil doppelgangers and I would still know which one was you. It's not what you look like. It's the way you touch me. It's that special scent that's all you. It's the way you look at me." She reached up to brush her lips against his and whispered, "I know _you_, Clark. The real Clark Kent inside. No one can fake that."

She rested his head on his shoulder, closing her eyes and holding on to him. His arms went around her and he held her close, both their hearts, for that moment, beating together in harmony.

_Watchtower_

"So, how's Lois?" Chloe asked, with concern. "No concussion, I hope? Shouldn't you be with her instead of helping me look for Zoners here?"

Clark gave her a look. "Lois went to go buy a new phone. And then she's going to the Planet. She's wants to convince Brady to let her research what happened and turn it into a story."

Chloe started laughing. "Of course, what was I thinking?" She turned back to the computer screen and continued working. After a second, she realized her friend was still standing where she'd left him, staring silently into space. With a sigh, she turned back to him. "Is everything OK, Clark?"

"Yeah, it's just…" Clark hesitated and then words began to pour out. "When I was cleaning up, I went to the loft. He'd gone through my trunk, Chloe. There were pictures of Lana everywhere." He shook his head. "It was so… weird."

"Well, he _was_ obsessed with her," Chloe pointed out.

Clark frowned unhappily. "He wasn't the only one."

"Whoa… where is this coming from?" Chloe asked, startled.

Clark sat down heavily in the nearest chair. He avoided his friend's curious gaze and admitted, "Lois… she… she knew it wasn't me, Chloe."

Chloe's brow furrowed in confusion. "I'm… sorry? Isn't that a good thing?"

"It's just that…." Clark's jaw clenched, as he tried to figure out how to articulate what he was feeling. "When Lana was with him… I always told myself that it wasn't Lana's fault. That _anyone_ would have made the mistake that she did." He met Chloe's eyes, his own full of hurt and confusion. "But now? Lois figured it out in two minutes. Lana didn't even know for weeks and she…." His voice trailed off and he flushed a bit in embarrassment.

Chloe gave him a gentle smile. "I know."

The two were silent for a minute.

Finally, Chloe broke the silence. "Clark, can I be honest with you?"

Clark gave a mocking smile. "Wait, aren't you always?"

"Not always. Especially not when it comes to Lana," Chloe responded seriously.

Clark eyed her warily. "Go on."

"Look, the fact of the matter is that Lana and you…" Chloe paused, wondering how to explain things delicately. "… You and Lana didn't know each other. It had nothing to do with your secret. You idealized Lana and you loved that ideal. Lana… she… she had a picture of who you should be in her mind and that was the person she loved. When you didn't fit that picture, she'd try to change you. Or change herself to make it work," Chloe explained. "That was why Lana didn't know it was Bizarro. Call it… willful ignorance, if you will. It worked to her advantage for her not to know it wasn't you."

"So, you're saying we never really loved each other?" Clark asked, incredulously. "Chloe, I spent the majority of my childhood being in love with Lana Lang."

Chloe shook her head. "No, you spent your whole life being in love with the girl she was when you were little. That girl? She grew up, Clark. And Lana, for her part, loved the man she thought you could be – not the man you actually wanted to be."

Clark considered her words.

"Now, Bizarro comes in and he offers to become the man she wanted." Chloe shrugged. "Obviously, Lana wasn't going to turn that down."

Clark shook his head. "No, Lana put on the power suit to be with me. She risked everything, almost gave up everything, to be able to be with me."

"Did she, Clark?" Chloe asked softly. "What I saw is a girl who came to terms with the man you were becoming. You were on your way to become a hero to millions. She couldn't stop you, so she decided to join you. At the end of the day, it was more important for her to stand toe-to-toe with you than to share you with the world."

"It sounds terrible when you put it that way, Chloe. I can't… I can't just look back on our time together in that way." He held up his hand to silence Chloe before she could respond. "I don't mean to romanticize it. I know what you're saying and don't think that I haven't considered these things before. I know. It's just… I can't look at someone and think the worst of them like that."

Chloe smiled. "Of course you can't. That's why you're Clark."

"I may be Clark, but I'm not an idiot," he countered. "I… I… burned all the pictures," Clark confessed. He flushed a bit. "I used my laser vision. I'm not even sure why I did… I just felt like I didn't need them around anymore."

Chloe let out a laugh. "Actually, I think it's a good thing you did – if Lois found them, she'd have your hide. She's only understanding up to a point." Then she became serious. "You do know, though, why Lois _could_ tell it wasn't you, right?"

Clark's brow rose in question.

"She loves you for who you are – not some idea she has in her head of how you should be. She accepts you for who you are. For your part, you actually love Lois for who she is – flaws and all. Not only do you see her flaws, I think you love her _because_ of them." She leaned forward in her seat and said simply, "You guys both understand each other in a way that's kind of freaky, really. Your relationship is real and true in a way that neither of you have ever had with anyone else. That's why she could tell that he was pretending to be you – because she doesn't need you to be someone else. She's happy with the _real_ you."

Clark smiled slowly. "That's true. I can see that."

Chloe swallowed a bit, blinking back tears. "You know how lucky you guys are, right? That kind of love comes along once in a lifetime. And not everyone is smart enough to know what they have while they still have it." She glanced around the apartment. "Sometimes, you figure it out too late."

"Chloe." Clark looked at her compassionately.

She grinned a bit and turned back towards her computer. "Enough with the therapy session, Clark. We've got work to do."

"Actually…" Clark stood up. "Do you mind if I take off?"

"What? We haven't figured out if any other Zoners were released, yet."

"Call me if you need me." Clark grinned down at his friend. "I'm going home to make dinner. Then, I'm going to make Lois come home to eat it."

Chloe smiled. "Sounds like a good plan."

In a flash, he was gone.

"Yes," Chloe muttered to herself. "Definitely annoying."

_ _ _

Smallville to Lane 9:23pm: Have I told you lately how much I love you?

Lane to Smallville 9:24pm: I think it's been a few hours.

Smallville to Lane 9:25pm: Well, in that case… you want to come over for dinner so I can tell you again?

Lane to Smallville 9:26pm: Stop. You had me at "dinner". Be there soon.


	9. Drabble 9

***Rated M for Mature***

**_____________**

**Zip Me Up**

Clark straightened his tie with one hand while ringing Lois's doorbell with the other. After adjusting it a bit more, he moved his hand away, realizing that Lois was probably going to end up fixing it again, anyway. A small smile came to his lips at the thought. The door flung open, interrupting his musings.

"Smallville!" Lois exclaimed. Her eyes were wide with surprise and more than a bit of dismay. "You're early!"

Clark glanced down at his watch. "No, I'm on time." He opened the door a bit to let himself in and turned back to look at her from top to bottom. She was still wearing her ratty bathrobe and her hair was in some sort of curlers contraption. She carried a mascara stick in one hand. He grinned. "_You're_ running late. As usual."

Lois rolled her eyes and headed back towards her room. "Yeah, right. You know they never start these things on time."

Clark pulled out the schedule he had in his inner suit pocket. "I don't know, Lois," he called back to her. "It says the ceremony starts at 8:00 on the dot." He looked at the time again. "And it's 7:30 now… we need to hurry."

"Ok, ok, I'm hurrying." Lois's voice came from the bathroom. "Can you do me a favor? Can you look up the directions?"

Clark settled down on her couch, took out his phone, and started keying in the address printed on the program. After a few minutes, he saw that it was about twenty minutes away. "Lois, we better get going if we want to make it in time, it's about twen…" His words died in his throat when he looked up and saw the sight that greeted him.

Lois had emerged from her room, wearing a black, sleeveless, dress; the skirt stopping just above the knees. She was putting on one earring, her head angled to side, her hair cascading over one shoulder, leaving her neck exposed and bare. His eyes travelled down the length of her long legs and saw that she'd already put on her strappy black high heels.

"Smallville, I'm almost good to go," Lois said breathlessly. She finished with her earring and straightened up, stopping right in front of him. "Just one thing." She turned around, showing him her unzipped back, which gave him a clear view of the strap of her black bra. "Can you help me into the dress? I can't reach the zipper." Lois brought her hair over her shoulder, to give him easier access.

Clark swallowed hard, trying to quell the surge of lust at her words and the image she presented him with. He stood up and ran his hand over his mouth, trying to think of what to do next. She was achingly close, right in front of him, and he let his hands fall on the gentle curve of her hips. Instead of reaching for the zipper, he dragged her closer to him, until she was flush against his body; letting her feel exactly the effect she was having on him. He leaned down, brushing his lips against her neck. "No, but I can help you _out_ of it," he murmured, his voice coming out unsteady and husky.

Lois let out a short gasp. He licked her neck, his breath warm and soft against her. Lois's eyes closed in immediate reaction, and she felt herself instinctively move closer to him, feeling his hardness against her. Her neck tingled where he touched it; she could feel is lips on her neck, making her shiver in desire and anticipation. She bit her lip, feeling a flutter in her stomach, all the nerves in her body in her body coming alive; her knees weakening. Her hands reached back to grab him to keep her balance. This made her grind even closer to him, feeling the hard length of him against the curve of her back.

His mouth made its way down the column of her throat, lazily nipping and licking all the way down to her shoulder. Slowly, gently, he eased her dress aside with his lips and teeth. She felt his hands start to slide up, moving up across her abdomen and towards her full, aching, breasts. He made a dual assault on her body, sucking and kissing her shoulder and neck while rubbing and fondling her breasts through the soft fabric, the friction causing her nipples to harden instantly. Lois brought her hands up to grab his hands and stopped him from going any further.

"Smallville." Lois's voice came out in whisper. She wasn't exactly sure what she was trying to say. She couldn't tell if she was trying to stop him or urge him to keep going. She couldn't think straight.

"Hhhmm?" Clark mumbled against her, his hands breaking away from her and wandering back down. He pulled back a bit and placed her hands back on her waist. He tugged her and whirled her around to face him. Before she could speak, his mouth descended on hers, claiming it, teasing her lips until she opened for him. He felt her hips move against him in response to each thrust of his tongue. He broke away to lightly trail kisses over the line of her jaw.

Her hand came up to tangle her fingers through his thick hair, urging him back to her lips. "Smallville, don't stop…" she whispered, putting her lips on his.

He grinned against her mouth. "I don't plan to." He flicked his tongue out and licked her, starting to work his way down her neck, towards the plunging neckline. He placed an open mouthed kiss right on the edge of the material of her dress, feeling her shiver against him in response.

Suddenly, he heard the insistent _ring, ring_ of his phone in the distance, followed by a buzzing and vibrating near his feet. He groaned and looked down, seeing his forgotten phone on the floor where he'd dropped it. Two seconds later, he heard Lois's phone start to buzz and vibrate on the coffee table.

Lois opened her eyes slowly, as though coming up from a trance and took a step back. She looked down and then over at the coffee table. With a shaky hand, she grabbed the phone and scrolled to the latest message.

Brady to L. Lane and C. Kent 7:52pm: Where are you? Speeches start in exactly 9 minutes. New editor-in-chief said he wants to meet you both. Told him you're going to be here soon. HURRY UP.

Lois shot Clark a wry grin, seeing that he was reading the same message she was. "Well," she said lightly, "Looks like we've been saved by the bell."

Clark smoothed down his tie and gave her a look. "Speak for yourself." He walked closer to her, turned her around until her back was to him again. Deftly, he zipped up her dress. He dipped his head to whisper in her ear, "Consider this a reprieve. We _will_ be finishing this once the dinner is over."

Lois grinned and whirled around to face him. Placing her hand on his chest, she gazed up at him with clear challenge in her hazel eyes. "Promises, promises, Kent. You never deliver."

"Trust me, I'll deliver this time," he replied, giving her another quick kiss, before ushering her out the door.

_ _ _

Chloe to Clark 8:24pm: Clark, you better come to Watchtower now. Ollie needs you.

_ _ _

Lane to Smallville 8:29pm: Smallville, where are you? I think we can call this a night. Ready to deliver on your PROMISE?

Smallville to Lane 8:32pm: Lois, I need you to get someone to give you a ride home. I had to leave the party.

Lane to Smallville 8:34pm: Don't tell me. You forgot to feed Shelby?

Smallville to Lane 8:36pm: Something like that.

Smallville to Lane 8:45pm: If I could be there, I would be. I'm sorry.

Lane to Smallville 8:49pm: You should be. Remember my bra? I'm wearing a matching thong. See you tomorrow, Clark.


	10. Drabble 10

**Morning After**

Lois typed feverishly on her computer, glancing up every now and then to read the text on the screen. As usual, there were squiggly red lines indicating all the typos and spelling errors in her article. She noticed there seemed to be more today than typical. She sighed, blaming her lack of focus on the events the previous evening. Or, rather, lack of events.

Suddenly, a bouquet of flowers appeared in front of her, blocking the view of her screen. She glanced up and saw Clark holding the flowers and wearing a sheepish grin.

"What are those for?" Lois asked, keeping her face devoid of any emotion.

"Do I need a reason to get my girlfriend flowers?" Clark asked in a teasing voice.

Lois didn't respond, but one brow rose expectantly.

Clark's smile faded. "I'm sorry. The flowers are to show you how sorry I am for standing you up last night."

Lois considered him for a moment and then nodded. She took the flowers from his hand and set them aside on her desk. "Thanks, they're pretty." With that she turned her attention back to the computer and continued where she'd left off.

She could feel Clark looking down at her and heard him sigh. Not surprisingly, he refused to leave and, instead, leaned back against her desk, facing her. "Lois."

Lois stopped typing and focused on him. "Clark."

"I wish I could explain…" he began, clearly having rehearsed a speech.

"You don't have to," Lois interrupted. "I know what's going on."

"You do?" Clark asked, in surprise, his eyes wary and full of concern.

"Yes, I figured it out. I mean, I had my suspicions, but last night really sealed the deal for me." Lois pushed her chair back, grabbed her empty coffee mug and made her way over to the coffee machine.

Clark followed her. "It did?"

She poured coffee into her mug and explained, "Clearly, you're suffering from fear of commitment. Classic case of the Peter Pan syndrome." She glanced back at him over her shoulder. "I read all about in Cosmo last year." She replaced the coffee carafe and turned around to face him, taking a sip of her coffee. "It's OK, I get it."

Clark was speechless for a moment. He blinked at her in confusion. "Um… what does that mean, exactly?"

"Well," Lois cast her eyes upwards as though trying to recall the details of the article. "Basically, you want to take things slow." She shook her head slightly and took another sip of her coffee. "Honestly, Clark, I'm cool with that." She eyed him over the rim of her mug thoughtfully. "I've been doing a lot of thinking and I agree. We've been going too fast and we need to slow things down. You're totally right."

"But I never said I wanted to slow things down," Clark protested, feeling – as usual – that Lois was two steps ahead. It never failed to amaze him that he had super-speed, but she was always quicker than him.

Lois smiled slowly. "You don't have to – actions speak louder than words, Smallville." She emphasized the Smallville with a punch to his arm.

Clark glanced down at his arm and frowned. He tried to figure out how to explain to Lois that she was completely wrong without telling her the real reason he'd been disappearing. While he was grappling with that problem, a box of donuts materialized between them.

"Ms. Lane, I saved you the last donut." Jeff, the intern, held out the open box to Lois, his crush on her clearly being transmitted by the way he gazed at her, wide eyed.

Lois glanced down at the box and then at Jeff. "Thanks, Jeff! Ohh… cherry filled. My favorite." She reached into the box and took out the powdered confection, giving him a wide grin.

Jeff blushed a bit and gulped. "I know. You mentioned it once."

Lois's brows rose in surprise. "Well, thanks, Jeff. I'll be sure to mention my favorite Chinese food around you next time. Maybe I'll score lunch out of it," she teased.

That earned her another blush. "Of course, Ms. Lane," he stammered.

Clark watched this whole exchange with a mixture of annoyance and amusement. Lois had no clue the affect she had on half the men in the bullpen. On more than one occasion, he'd caught guys ogling her when she knelt down to pick up something in her tight skirt. They were lucky he had his heat vision under control, or there would have been a lot of desks and computers with holes in them.

"Jeff," he interrupted. "Don't you have that photo-copying job I gave you yesterday? Is it done?"

Jeff turned to him, as though he had just realized Clark was standing there. "Oh, right, Mr. Kent. I'll get right on that."

Clark watched him walk away, shaking his head a bit. Like that poor kid could ever handle Lois. He turned back to face her and saw that she'd already bitten into the donut and had her eyes closed while she chewed, clearly relishing the flavor.

"Hhhmm…" Lois opened her eyes. "This is so good, Smallville. You wanna bite?" She held it out to him.

Mutely, he shook his head.

"Oh right, you don't like cherry donuts."

Lois reached out to catch a drop of the filling that threatened to fall to the floor. She raised her finger to her lips, sucking the red sauce, closing her eyes again as she enjoyed the taste.

Clark's mouth went dry and his body went still as he stared at her.

"But it's so good," Lois teased, her eyes opening and she moved closer to him. She stood on tip-toe to brush a kiss against his lips. "You're missing out, Smallvile."

With that, she turned to walk back towards her desk, her hips swaying in her tight, gray, skirt and her pony-tail swinging in the air. Clark watching her go, helplessly, licking his lips a bit; tasting the cherry and powdered sugar she'd left behind.

And, for the first time in his life, Clark found himself wishing a cold shower could actually affect him.


End file.
